'Killer Stunts, Inc.' gets something of a reboot, film details

Last July CBR News told you about "Killer Stunt, Inc.," a new comic from writer Alan Scott and artist David Hahn about a Hollywood stunt man bitten by a vampire and subsequently becomes indestructible. The first issue, now being considered a "preview issue," saw print in September. Since then a lot has changed with the book. For one, "Killer Stunts, Inc." went from being self-published by Scott to joining the gang at DPG Visions, switching from a black and white book to full color that will be released later this year. Then in December we learned that "Killer Stunts, Inc." had been optioned as a feature film by Chuck Gordon's Daybreak Productions and Adrian Askarieh's Prime Universe Productions. So the wild ride of a Hollywood stunt man has definitely been reflected in the events that have been seen surrounding the comic.

This week writer Alan Scott dropped CBR News a note updating us on the progress with the film and the latest with the comic. Scott told us that the revised first issue of the book is coming soon and that even with his moving the book to DPG Visions, the comic is still his baby.

"'Killer Stunts, Inc. is still a creator-owned book," Scott told CBR News, "DPG Visions is behind the project in a big way and wants to publish it. We're looking to get the revised first issue materials to Diamond by the end of February for...what would that be...a May release? The following three issues would follow on a monthly basis.

"[Currently] I'm trying to settle on a new cover artist for the first issue through DPG Visions. There will also be some interior changes to the inside as well (changes to the version released in San Diego). These changes will reflect some of the new story elements in the film treatment drafts written by myself and Leo Partible. Actually, the entire mini-series arc I had previously written has changed because of how the story evolved while working on the film."

Scott admits that details on the film are pretty hush-hush right now, but, as he noted above, the film deal has altered his original ideas for the story considerably.

"There's nothing I can let slip on the movie front at this date (soon!)," said Scott. "I was a little concerned after Rich Johnston reported that Adrian Askarieh and Chuck Gordon were producing the film...a couple of months before we wanted it to go 'public.' Heh. I tracked down the source of that leak and clamped it down. We wanted to have some development time before we started on the PR front."

When the Hollywood Reporter broke the news about the movie deal, they didn't mention a writer is attached to the project. Scott told CBR news there is a "hotshot" screenwriter working on the pitch and Scott says "...there's something else in the works as well...I hope to have good news soon."

Scott went on to talk about the reasons why the story changed in the revised version of "Killer Stunts, Inc."

"Film stories notoriously differ -- often radically -- from the source material. I'm sure many a novelist and comic creator/writer have cringed when they read the film script or watched the finished flick. In my case, I was the instigator of many of the changes! Leo, my writing partner on the first few treatments, also contributed characters and plot points (with additional feedback from the producers -- you know, the guys with experience making big-budget films like 'Die Hard' and 'Spy-Hunter').

"Where the final film story ends up is not so much in my hands at this point. I have input, sure, but since a seasoned screenwriter is further developing the story, my input as a writer has morphed to the input of a co-producer. Ultimately, a studio will decide if the script is something they're ready to have the director and producers shoot. That's how the game works."

"It's been an interesting journey! I started with what I thought was a cool comic story; the comic story then become a film story; the film story, in turn, is becoming a comic story. It's a real chicken-and-egg thing. In the end, my hope is to present a really great comic and a really great film to the public. Sounds like mission impossible, but I've always been a big dreamer!